UPDATE: Suicide by cop? Dead man had lengthy criminal career

Lee Adam Dixon was no stranger to the Beaumont Police Department, having been arrested more than 30 times with a criminal conviction record that included unlawfully carrying a weapon and evading detention. Beaumont Police Officers were forced to returned fire - killing Dixon - after he began shooting at them in the 1700 block of Harriot Street.

UPDATE:The man shot and killed after he opened fire on Beaumont Police Officers Thursday morning at his residence on Harriot Street has been identified as 37-year-old Lee Adam Dixon (DOB 10-18-1974) of Beaumont. Dixon, was no stranger to police, having been arrested more than 30 times with, at least, five convictions for evading detention, unlawfully carrying a weapon, theft, possession of a controlled substance and reckless conduct.

Dixon died after being shot multiple times in response to him pointing a small caliber revolver at police and shooting three time in their direction - one of the bullets struck a tree being used as cover by an officer.

PREVIOUS REPORTING:

A 37-year-old man who muttered, “I’m going to die today” and brandished a small caliber pistol while walking down the street in the South End of Beaumont, was shot and killed after he fired three rounds at Beaumont Police Officers, who were forced to returned fire to protect themselves and citizens nearby.

According to BPD Sgt. Rob Flores, the man was originally approached by officers after police received a call of a man dressed in all black, who had a weapon and was acting suspicious.

“We received the original call at 7:53 a.m. about a suspicious man in the 1500 block of Elgie(Street),” Flores said. “When officers arrived they found the subject and began talking to him. He had his hands in his pockets and at one point indicated he had a weapon. As the officers spoke with him and tried to contain the individual, he continued walking two blocks to the south and two blocks to the west. When he pulled his hands out of his pockets he was holding a small caliber revolver and began saying that ‘I am going die today.’ He then put the gun back in his pocket and continued walking.”

Flores said officers on the scene had already called for the SWAT team and had crisis negotiators in place when they contained the man between a fence and a home in the 1700 block of Harriot Street.

“When SWAT officers arrived the man kneeled down and as he stood up he pulled the gun and fired several rounds, which resulted in those officers shooting back,” Flores confirmed.

According to the official press release, the man had knelt on his knees and began walking back and forth in the yard on his knees and then pulled the gun back out of his pocket and fired at officers. An EMS unit was immediately called to the scene but the man was pronounced dead upon arrival at CHRISTUS St. Elizabeth Hospital. The man’s name is being withheld until his family is notified. He was a resident of south Beaumont.

A reporter at the scene was able to determine that seven officers returned fire and between 12 to 14 rounds appear to have been fired by officers, based on evidence tags placed near bullet casings. Additionally, officers were observed removing what appeared to be the bullets fired by the suspect from a nearby home and a tree that, at least, one officer had used for cover. Officers were also observed conducting a digitized "drawing" of the scene using a laser device to indicate exactly where police and the suspect were at when the shots were fired.

The officers involved have been placed on paid administrative leave until an internal investigation and grand jury review has been completed, which is standard procedure in officer-involved shootings.

The Examiner will continue update this story as more information becomes available.